Changeable letter display device



Dec. 6, 1955 G. A. ELLIOTT CHANGEABLE LETTER DISPLAY DEVICE Filed June l, 1953 GEORGE A ELUOTT @L CT Q M m United States Patent() CHANGEABLE LETTER DISPLAY DEVICE George A. Elliott, New London, Iowa Application June 1, 1953, Serial No. 358,651

3 Claims. (Cl. 40-1'40) My invention relates to a changeable letter sign, or the like.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a changeable letter device or sign to be mounted `adjacent to a window of the funeral coach, or hearse, during a funeral, `and displaying the name of the deceased, to honor him.

A -further 'object of the invention is to provide a Vdevice of the above mentioned character which is highly simplified and economical in construction, vand embodying novel means for removably `securing changeable letters of the device lin place.

A further object is to provide in a *display sign of the above mentioned character resilient holding means for frictionally securing changeable letters of the sign in chosen positions within a letter holding groove or recess.

A still further object of the invention is -to provide in a sign of the above mentioned type, letters which may be changed or rearranged at will without dsassembling the major holding elements of the sign.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts through the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a changeable letter dis play device embodying the invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal longitudinal section taken on line 22 of Figure l,

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary central vertical section through the device,

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross section taken on line 4 4 of Figure 3, and,

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 5 5 of Figure l.

In the drawings, where for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral designates a body portion or frame, including a top longitudinal bar 11, and end depending bars or sections 12, preferably formed integral with the bar 11, and arranged at right angles thereto. Theend bars 12 are provided in their lower ends with rectangular recesses or notches 13, for receiving the opposite end portions of a bottom longitudinal changeable letter support member or rail 14. In assembly, the rail 14 extends parallel to the top bar 11, and is disposed at right angles to the end bars 12. The substantially rectangular area defined by the frame 10 and rail 14 is open, except for characters or letters, to be described.

Letters or characters 15 are dependingly secured to the top bar 11, centrally of the frame 10, and preferably formed integral therewith, by casting, or the like. The letters 15 are preferably arranged to spell the words in memory of, or a similar expression, and these' letters are not changeable, and form a permanent part of the frame 10, which may be formed of cast aluminum, molded plastics material, wood or the like.

The rail 14 is provided in its top side, with a longitudi- ICC nal rectangular groove or passage 16, extending therethrough, and the rail 14 is of a length and thickness to engage snugly within the notches 13, and be ush with the lower ends of the bars 12, as shown. The rail 14 is provided near its opposite ends with transverse upwardly directed openings 17, which open through the bottom of the groove 16, at the transverse center of the rail 14. These openings 17 are in alignment with screw threaded openings 18, formed in the bottom ends of the bars 12, and opening into the notches 13. Upwardly ydirected screws 19 have screw threaded engagement with the openings 18, and pass through the openings 17, for rigidly securing the rail 14 to the frame 10, as shown.

Changeable letters 20 are provided, including base portions or blocks 21, slideably engaging within the longitudinal groove 16. The letters 20 are chosen to spell the name of the deceased person, whom it is desired to honor on the day of the funeral, and the name spelled out by the letters 20, in Figure l, is merely an illustration of the use of the letters, which may of course be arranged to form any desired name. A desired number of ller blocks or spacers 22 having the identical bases or blocks 21 as the letters 20 are likewise slideably mounted within the groove i6, to provide proper spacing between the names or initials of the deceased. For the purpose of illustration, I have shown one spacer 22 in the drawings, between the first and second names spelled out by the letters 20. I may also provide suitable ornamental characters or iigures 23, 'at the ends of 'the names formed by the letters 2i), and the characters 23 are provided with the bases or blocks 21, slideably mounted within the groove 16. The ornamental characters 23 are reversible within the groove 16, and they may be omitted entirely when the name of the -deceased is a long name, to make room within the groove 16 for a larger number of the letters 20.

Means are provided to resiliently and vfrictionally hold the letters 26 and ornamental characters 23 within the groove 16. Such means comprises compressible coil springs 24, disposed within the end portions of the groove 16, between the endmost blocks 21 and the screws 19. Cotter pins 25 engage axially through the coil springs 24, and serve as keepers for holding the springs within the groove 16. The heads 26 of the cotter pins receive the upwardly directed screws 19, which serve to anchor the Cotter pins and springs properly within the groove 16. The ends of the springs 24 bear against the heads 26 of the cotter pins, and the endmost blocks 21 of the characters within the groove 16, as shown. The springs 24 serve to hold or stack the letters 2li and characters 23 together in endwise frictional engagement within the groove 16, and hold the letters firmly against accidental displacement from the groove. The letters 2l) and characters .23 are however readily removable from the groove id, without any necessity of removing the screws 19, rail iii or springs 24. The springs are weak enough, so that they may be compressed by hand during any necessary rcarrangement or changing of the letters 2t) and characters 2li. The letters and characters are of course removed from the groove 16 by merely lifting them through the open top side of the groove.

lf preferred one of the springs 24 and one cotter pin 2.5 may be omitted entirely from the device, in which case additional spacers 22 may be interposed between one endmost letter 20 or character 23, and the adjacent screw 19. In this case, the single spring 24 will serve to yieldably hold the letters and characters within the groove 16.

A pair of depending pins 27 is rigidly secured to the rail 14, inwardly of its ends, and these pins engage within openings provided in the window sill of the funeral coach, so that the display sign may be mounted adjacent to the window of the coach or hearse. Other suitable means, not shown, instead of the pins 20 may be utilized for mounting the device near the window of the hearse, and I have shown the pins 27 merely to set forth a preferred manner of mounting the device upon the hearse. I do not wish to limit the invention to this particular arrangement for mounting the device adjacent to the window, and it should be obvious that various other mounting means may be employed, within the scope of the invention.

lt is to be understood that the form of the invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, l claim:

l. A display device comprising an open frame member including ends, a support rail extending between the ends of the frame member and engaging the ends and provided in its top with a longitudinal groove extending therethrough, fastener elements connecting the ends of the frame member and support rail and extending through said groove, changeable characters mounted within the groove of the support rail in contacting relation, coil springs arranged within the groove between the endmost characters and fastener elements and engaging the endmost characters, Cotter pins engaging inside of the coil springs and having heads receiving the fastener elements within the groove and serving as keepers for the coil springs, additional characters permanently secured to the frame member above said changeable characters, and means carried by the device to facilitate mounting the same adjacent to a window or the like.

2. A changeable letter display device comprising a frame including a substantially horizontal top and substantially vertical ends, said ends being provided at their bottoms with inner notches, a substantially horizontal support rail provided in its top with a longitudinal groove extending substantially to its ends, said support rail having its ends inserted within said inner notches, substantially vertical attaching elements passing through the ends of the support rail and through the ends of the groove and engaging saidv substantially vertical ends of the frame to secure the support rail to said substantially vertical ends, changeable characters having base portions removably mounted within the groove and thereby held upon said support rail, and substantially horizontal compressible coil springs mounted within the end portions of said groove outwardly of said base portions to contact with said base portions, said springs being provided at their outer ends with eyes which receive the substantially vertical attaching elements, the eyes serving to retain the springs within the groove.

3. A changeable letter display device comprising an open frame including a substantially horizontal top and substantially vertical ends, a substantially horizontal support rail provided in its top face with a longitudinal groove extending to its ends, said support rail having its ends arranged to engage the lower ends of the substantially vertical frame ends, a substantially vertical attaching element passing through one end of the support rail and through the end of said groove and engaging the adjacent substantially vertical end of the frame to secure the support rail to said frame end, changeable characters having base portions which are removably mounted Within the groove and thereby held upon said support rail, and a substantially horizontal compressible coil spring mounted within the end portion of the groove outwardly of the base portion to contact with one base portion, said spring being provided at its outer end with an eye to receive the substantially vertical attaching element, the eye serving to retain the spring within the groove.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 958,054 Willson May 17, 1910 1,304,080 Mastalia May 20, 1919 1,780,061 Blut Oct. 28, 1930 2,274,192 Deaton Feb. 24, 1942 

